Athlone councillor Aengus O' Rourke says the withdrawal of the Franciscans from the town next January will leave a massive void in the community.
He says news of their departure which was announced at mass in the town this morning has left many local people shocked and saddened.
A statement issued from the Franciscan Minister Provincial Fr Aidan McGrath said the decision had been difficult, but had to be made in response to their ageing and reducing membership.
The order has been a presence in Athlone for almost 800 years, and Councillor O' Rourke says it's hard to come to terms with the fact that the members will be leaving the area entirely.
"I guess like most people, I'm stunned, I'm saddened, and I'm actually numb i have to say. 800 years of service to the town, when you think about it, it's hard to imagine an Athlone without the Franciscan friars in it. What adds to the sadness for me, when they do finish up in Athlone, they won't even be retiring themselves in Athlone, they'll be going elsewhere because they don't have accommodation suitable for their needs".
Athlone native Rebecca Waldron got married at the Franciscan church in Athlone in 2007.
She told Let's Talk that the friary always provided a very warm welcome for people
"I think it's just such a welcoming church. It's very homely. You don't have to be a huge churchgoer to feel welcomed there. I think for me personally, and I think I speak for thousands of others if you ever had a problem, or somebody was ill, or you needed to say a special prayer for somebody, you could just go down there and sit in silence, say a prayer to St.Anthony, and you felt this sense of relief. It's just that go-to place".
You can listen to Rebecca's full interview here:
